Book contents
- Global Change and Future Earth
- Special Publications of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics Series
- Global Change and Future Earth: The Geoscience Perspective
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Part I Future Earth and Planetary Issues
- 1 International Drivers to Study Climatic and Environmental Change: A Challenge to Scientific Unions
- 2 Future Earth and Expected Mega Changes
- 3 Global Change, Space Weather, and Climate
- 4 Climate Issues from the Planetary Perspective and Insights for the Earth
- Part II Future Earth and Geodetic Issues
- Part III Future Earth and the Earth’s Fluid Environment
- Part IV Future Earth and Regions
- Part V Future Earth and Urban Environments
- Part VI Future Earth and Food Security
- Part VII Future Earth and Risk, Safety and Security
- Part VIII Climate Change and Global Change
- Name Index
- Subject Index
- References
4 - Climate Issues from the Planetary Perspective and Insights for the Earth
from Part I - Future Earth and Planetary Issues
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 October 2018
Book contents
- Global Change and Future Earth
- Special Publications of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics Series
- Global Change and Future Earth: The Geoscience Perspective
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Part I Future Earth and Planetary Issues
- 1 International Drivers to Study Climatic and Environmental Change: A Challenge to Scientific Unions
- 2 Future Earth and Expected Mega Changes
- 3 Global Change, Space Weather, and Climate
- 4 Climate Issues from the Planetary Perspective and Insights for the Earth
- Part II Future Earth and Geodetic Issues
- Part III Future Earth and the Earth’s Fluid Environment
- Part IV Future Earth and Regions
- Part V Future Earth and Urban Environments
- Part VI Future Earth and Food Security
- Part VII Future Earth and Risk, Safety and Security
- Part VIII Climate Change and Global Change
- Name Index
- Subject Index
- References
Summary
Terrestrial planet climate studies provide a platform for the discussion of the climate changes currently affecting the Earth. The apparent stability of the Earth’s climate over the last few thousand years is deceptive, since it was preceded by huge changes taking place in the past, sometimes (during the most recent terrestrial ice ages, for example) on very short time scales of centuries or even decades. We now know that dramatic changes in climate, and potential habitability, have also taken place on Mars, and probably on Venus and Titan as well, although the time scales there remain uncertain.
Amelioration of the current problem on Earth requires a very complete understanding of the processes involved. Applying models of such processes to Venus and Mars not only allows us to develop detailed scenarios and possible histories for those extreme variants of the terrestrial situation, it shows up deficiencies in our understanding that could make important differences to climate forecast for the near-future of life on Earth.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Global Change and Future EarthThe Geoscience Perspective, pp. 40 - 54Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2018
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